This disclosure relates to input methods.
Languages that use a logographic script in which one or two characters correspond roughly to one word or meaning have more characters than keys on a standard input device, such as a computer keyboard or a mobile device keypad. For example, the Chinese language contains tens of thousands of characters having pronunciations defined by base Pinyin elements and five tones. The mapping of these potentially many to one associations can be implemented by input methods that facilitate entry of characters and symbols not found on input devices. Accordingly, a Western style keyboard can be used to input Chinese characters. Likewise, input methods can be used for using a Western style keyboard or some other input device to input many other languages that include ideograms, such as the Japanese language, the Korean language, and other languages.
Some input method editors can adapt to the typing habits of a particular user and store the user data in a local data store, such as a persistent memory on a computer device, e.g., a hard drive or a flash memory. Such user data can, for example, include typing frequency for different words, unique words, often-used phrases, etc. The learned data facilitates an optimized input method editor environment for the user. When a user, however, utilizes the input method editor on another computer device, the user data is not available to the input method editor.